Taryn bows to the dead branch. “You have my utmost respect, elder.”
I glance up at the treetops to the stars peeking through. “Let’s go for a bit longer, then head back.”
The trail winds down another decline and opens to a wide field past the break in the woods.
“Those flowers over there are pretty,” she says.
I perk up. “Evening primrose. Perfect, this will be wonderful for Lena. These are great for so many uses, but especially good to treat a severe cough.”
I ran low on primrose leaves weeks ago once the chill set in higher up the mountain. They’re one plant that doesn’t respond well to the concoctions Jade taught me to mix into the soil for longevity even when I try to grow it on my windowsill by the workbench.
“Wait, do you hear that?” She goes still as I harvest, listening. “Something’s in a hurry.”
She’s right. Whatever’s racing through the woods is doing it at breakneck speed, kicking up dead leaves, trampling twigs and any other underbrush in the way from the sound of it.
“Deer? No, that’s got to be something bigger. Maybe some hikers woke a bear,” I suggest when I rise.
I’ve gathered enough primrose clippings to fill a basket. I should’ve brought one to carry them back in.
She grins, licking one of her canines. “Or a wolf. In fact, I’d bet on it.”
Our laughter cuts off when two males come into view up the slope. The smile drops off my face and my stomach sinks. Instead of hikers, we’ve been caught far down the mountain by Caden and Liam.
They’re running straight for us, not bothering with the zig-zag of the trail. Caden’s leading with Liam trailing behind. Caden’s flannel is unbuttoned, as if he considered shifting. He doesn’t slow until he reaches us, almost colliding with me when I don’t budge.
“Shit,” Taryn mutters. “Busted.”
Caden ignores her and gets in my face, scratching irritably at his exposed chest. It’s covered in raw, red marks as if he’s been itching it for a while.
“What the hell do you both think you’re doing out here?”
I hold my ground, raising my chin. His eyes narrow, suspicion written all over his features. It’s not all that different from the last time we were in this position when he caught me before. Except this time his spiced woodsy musk isn’t just delicious, it’s making my knees weak with the urge to wind my arms around his neck and rub against him. My mouth goes dry.
“I want an explanation, and it better be a damn good one,” he says.
“I needed some evening primrose.” I hold up my bundle of clippings, waving it in his face. “This variety only grows at a lower elevation.”
He releases a rough noise. “And that gives you the right to break the rules whenever it suits you? You aren’t the pack’s healer and you’re outside the border. Without permission.”
I press my lips together against the sting of needing to become my own healer. “Oh, come on. I’m only out here foraging for plants that aren’t within the border. You can’t bend all of nature to your will, too.”
Thankfully we didn’t go all the way to town. If this is how he reacts to sneaking off packlands, he’d lose his head if he caught us in Ashbury.
He swipes a hand over his mouth. “How did you do it? How did you slip by the patrol team without them catching you?”
“We walked,” Taryn replies sardonically.
Liam hasn’t taken his attention off her since they spotted us. “It’s Taryn’s doing.” He grips her by the arm with a scowl. “She’s always causing trouble and is allergic to any rule. I’ll take care of her.”
“You wish,” she simpers. “You couldn’t handle me if you tried. Not even in your dreams.”
A muscle jumps in his cheek and he addresses Caden. “I’ll take them to the patrol cabin.”
“No,” Caden growls as he steps in front of me to block me from Liam’s view. He stiffens, then blows out a breath. “I’ll handle this. You go on ahead.”
Liam lifts his brows. “Are you sure?”
“Go,” Caden orders with a flash of his lengthening fangs.
Taryn covers a snicker. “Are you sure that’s a good call? You could be the dangerous beastie out here.”
“Don’t question your alpha,” Liam snarls as he carts her off.
Once we’re left alone, Caden scrubs his pec again. I hope he’s breaking out in some sort of uncomfortable allergic reaction to ruin his perfect, sculpted chest.
He scans the trail as if he’s looking for any threat of danger. I roll my eyes, then tie my bundle to my bag and start walking back. He catches my arm and whirls me around, intent blue eyes searching my face.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To spend the night in a holding cell for breaking your suffocating rules, I assume.” I jerk out of his grasp with a huff. “I’m not sorry, either. I’ll do it again.”
He swipes a hand over his face with a grumble. I fold my arms, not sure what’s come over me. My wolf’s in my corner, though. She’s not impressed he ignored us when we walked around the commons today.
“You’re not going anywhere without an escort,” he says.
“I can handle myself.”
“You’re a female, alone after nightfall. Out of the question.”
I glare at him. “You didn’t care before if I was by myself. I’ve been doing just fine for the last seven years.”
His mouth presses into a hard line, accentuating the sharpness of his jaw.
“Shift,” I suggest.
His head jerks and his brows furrow. “What? Why?”
“If you won’t leave me be, then stalk me in your fur. I prefer your wolf’s company to yours. He’s far more tolerable to be around.”
The corners of his eyes tighten before he tears them from me to glare past my shoulder. “You like my wolf.”
I don’t think the puzzled mutter is meant for my ears. “It doesn’t have to be you at all. Not if I don’t want it to be. I’ll just wait here for Liam to come back.”
At the mention of Liam, he’s on me, backing me against the nearest tree. He plants a hand on either side of my head. Something hot and pleasurable tugs low in my gut at his proximity, leaving me breathless even though I’m angry with him.
“Damn it, Avery, there are rules for a reason. You can’t just do as you fucking please,” he thunders. “No one else but me is around to escort you. Do as I say because I’m your alpha, and you will respect my orders.”
I swallow and stare him down. His bare chest brushes against me, heat rolling off him in waves leaving me lightheaded. My pulse thrums for all the wrong reasons.
He’s the one who rejected our bond…yet he won’t let another male near me, as if I’m his.
Caden would have to claim me as his mate if he wanted to make me his.
“Careful, Alpha,” I warn with a cold tone to guard against the flutter in my heart. “All your rules are starting to tread a little too close to old pack views you pretend we’ve moved past.”
15CADEN
The accusation is a slam to my gut. I could never treat pack females like that. I’m not my grandfather’s heavy hand when females didn’t obey.
Nor am I my uncle or his sons now.
They’re the ones that harp about things being better the old way where our females had no rights. The males kept them practically locked up once they were mated, expecting them to roll on their backs and birth pups.
There’s no way I’d ever let things go back to that.
My stomach roils at the thought of Avery thinking I could.